„Celebration” at the 32nd Festival!

Standing ovation for „Celebration” produced by Ludowy Theatre in Cracow which was presented for the first time on Saturday, 25 April 2026. This is our second meeting with the spectacle – in 2024 at the Festival we saw the show directed by Grzegorz Jarzyna and produced by TR Warsaw. Thank you for our joint Saturday night and for long conversations after the performance!       

Spectacles produced by TR Warsaw and Ludowy Theatre are two very different performances. „Celebration” directed by Małgorzata Bogajewska shows the decay of the world, our hypocrisy, indifference, and silent consent to violence. This is a play that goes beyond a single family story – it is a portrait of the modern world hiding beneath superficiality and outward gestures – Ewa Pilawska, artistic director of the Festival, says.

How does „Celebration” echo in 2026, in a new context, and at a time when the categories of social taboo have evolved? Can we react to violence?  Do we have the courage to break out of the circle of indifference, selfishness and fear? 

 During the post-performance discussion moderated by Rafał Turowski the director and the actors told about the process of creating the play and developing character portraits. Małgorzata Bogajewska noticed that no matter what play is performed in the theatre, it always happens „here and now”. She also explained why she decided to introduce the character of a Ukrainian man, the partner of one of the main female characters, who arrives for the protagonist’s 60th birthday (in the original, it is a black man). The actors also spoke about their work in the context of „letting go” of characters as personally and thematically challenging as those in „Celebration”.

   

On Sunday we will present „Celebration” for the second time and on Monday 27 April we invite you to „I’m Fine” by Cezary Tomaszewski. 

 

Ludowy Theatre in Cracow
Thomas Vinterberg and Mogens Rukov
„Celebration”
Stage adaptation: Bo Hr. Hansen
Translated by Elżbieta Frątczak-Nowotny
Directed by Małgorzata Bogajewska
Stage design and costumes: Justyna Elminowska
Music: Bartłomiej Woźniak
Choreography: Maćko Prusak
Light director: Dariusz Pawelec
Dramaturgy cooperation: Piotr Franasowicz, Tadeusz Łomnicki

Cast: Marta Bizoń, Maria Chojnacka, Michalina Dworzaczek, Piotr Franasowicz, Krzysztof Górecki, Vitalik Havryla, Małgorzata Kochan, Małgorzata Krzysica, Paweł Kumięga, Roksana Lewak, Justyna Litwic, Tadeusz Łomnicki, Patryk Palusiński, Piotr Piecha, Jagoda Pietruszkówna, Piotr Pilitowski, Ryszard Starosta, Barbara Szałapak, Antoni Włosowicz, Jacek Wojciechowski, Kajetan Wolniewicz

With Julia Bednarska/Karina Krychun (cello) and background actors

 

Photos by  Joanna Głodek